A petition to stop a shock decision by Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games organisers to demolish tower blocks as part of the opening ceremony has garnered more than 1,000 signatures.

It was announced that the Red Road flats, which have shaped the city’s skyline for five decades, will be demolished as TV viewers tune in from around the world to see the opening of the Games.

However, hundreds have put their names to a change.org petition addressed to Shona Robison, the Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, calling for the plan to be axed.

Five of the six remaining blocks of flats will be blown up in just 15 seconds – an event described by organisers as the biggest demolition of its kind ever seen in Europe.

The blocks’ final few moments will be beamed live into the ceremony at Celtic Park on a giant 100-metre screen, as well as to an estimated TV audience of more than one billion people around the world.

The five tower blocks will be brought down simultaneously, by 2,755lb of explosives, as part of the opening ceremony on July 23.

The tower that will remain is used to house asylum seekers.

Nearly 900 homes will be evacuated from the surrounding area with an exclusion zone set up around the whole site.

Eileen Gallagher, independent director on the Glasgow 2014 board, described the move as ‘gallus’.

However, social media reaction was mixed.

Robert Florence, a writer and actor from Glasgow, wrote on Twitter: ‘The north of the city has had no real involvement with the Commonwealth Games, until they decided to blow up our buildings as entertainment.’

And former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Carolyn Leckie launched a petition on Change.Org, calling for Glasgow City Council and the Scottish government ‘ensure Red Road is demolished with dignity, not as entertainment’.

Others welcomed the announcement, with Nicola McCluskey tweeting: ‘I grew up there! I think it’s an amazing idea! Hats off to whoever thought of it!’

David Zolkwer, head of ceremonies and artistic director for Glasgow 2014, said: ‘It’s a bold and confident statement that says “bring on the future”, but it will also be an important opportunity for us to contemplate the many lives lived in the tower blocks over the last 50 years.’